The statistics are startling though not impressive. The consumer mentality that we approach so many things with has dramatically affected what traditionally has been an area purposed to be salt to the world.

Although the research espouses that 86% of the world believes in some form of higher power and an equal or greater percentage say spiritual matters are of great importance to them. The basis for these figures is attributed to an attitude that says church is a place that is designed to make them happy and to get various needs met.

Those that attend church furthermore consider it a building, a place to go rather that an attitude of the heart, and a sense of a collective body with a purpose to be in the world, but not part of it.

The idea of unity in the body to most seems an impossibility given different traditions, denominations and doctrine. This along with the inherent belief that we all worship the same God regardless of the teachings, traditions and various doctrinal differences compounds the issues, not only that, but our faith by and large has been turned inward believing that as long as we are doing what we consider to be “the right way” we need not concern ourselves with the body of believers as a whole.

Looking at scripture this doesn’t add up. Over the next several posts I hope to share some of what I have been learning about this topic and look forward to some meaningful debate.

Go ahead and step. To add a dash of tobacco to the soup, consider that I hear a lot of people say there’s a difference between, “spirituality” and “religion.” I always remember this quote from Swami Vivekananda during his US visit in the 1890’s: “It is good to be born into a religion. It is not so good to die in one.”